researching Bradley and McWilliams in Bancran Glebe

Connie,

The following is from the Surnames of Ireland by Dr. Edward MacLysaght:  Third Edition 1978

BRADLEY - Though this is an English name it is seldom of English origin in Ireland where it is a synonym of O'Brallaghan

(O) BRALLAGHAN - O Brollachain (from Brollach, and old Irish personal name presumably derived from brollach, breast).

Mainly Derry, Tyrone and Donegal. There is a Cork branch which is called Bradley

Regards,

There is a record of John Bradley’s marriage to Bridget McWilliams on 20.2.1855 in Ballinascreen parish. They were cousins (3rd degree of consanguinity).

https://registers.nli.ie/registers/vtls000632987#page/151/mode/1up

I searched for death for John & Bridget Bradley in Ireland. I found this for Bridget in 1885 showing she was a widow then:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1885/06281/4799750.pdf

Informant was her daughter Margaret.

I don’t see a death for John Bradley that definitely fits.  I assume this is the family in the 1901 census:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Bancran/Boncran_Glebe/1543159/

The Valuation revision records on the PRONI website show John Bradley on plot 59a in Bancran Glebe. It changed from John to Bridget in 1880, and to reps of Bridget in 1890, then to Laurence in 1897. So that points to John dying around 1880.

I don’t know for certain which school the family would have attended but there was a school in Bancran so that seems the most likely. It’s records don’t appear to have survived. (The old school appears to be a B & B now). PRONI have attendance records for 3 in the parish of Ballinascreen: Moneyeena National, Sixtown National and St Eugene’s aka Carnamoney National. The records are not on-line and so a personal visit is required to view them. (Or you might get a researcher to do that for you).

The nearest chapel looks to be Straw, and it has a graveyard, so I’d search there first for family graves. The parochial office or the Ballinascreen Historical Society might also be able to help.

https://ballinascreenhistoricalsociety.com

Bridget’s will is on the PRONI wills site. She left the farm to Laurence and asked her executors to give the rest of the family what they judged to be their respective share.

The Will of Bridget Bradley late of Bancran County Londonderry Widow who died 17 July 1885 at same place was proved at Londonderry by James Reid of Bancran Farmer one of the Executors.

Other probate abstracts for Bradleys from Bancran Glebe:

Probate of the Will of James Bradley late of Bancran County Londonderry Farmer who died 3 April 1901 granted at Londonderry to Charles M'Kenna Schoolmaster.

Probate of the Will of George Bradley late of Bancran, Co. Londonderry, who died 20 June 1919, granted at Londonderry 11 February 1920 to Dan Kelly, Farmer. Effects: £24 0s 0d.

Bradley Mary of Bancran Draperstown county Londonderry spinster died 10 July 1931 Administration W/A (limited) Londonderry 28 June to Lawrence Bradley farmer. Effects £10. Limited Grant.

Bradley Rose Ann of Bancran county Londonderry died 18 December 1945 at the Mater Hospital Belfast Administration Belfast 8 March to Thomas Bradley farmer the husband. Effects £104 5s. 8d.

Bradley James of Bancran Draperstown county Londonderry farmer died 23 November 1949 at Gransha Mental Hospital Londonderry Administration Londonderry 20 September to Brigid Bradley spinster. Effects £143 15s.

Bradley Mary of Bancran Draperstown county Londonderry spinster died 10 July 1931 Administration W/A (limited) Londonderry 28 June to Lawrence Bradley farmer. Effects £10. Limited Grant.

The above probate files are not on-line but should be in PRONI. They will copy them for a fee or you can go in person and view them free.

Oh my heavens!, Thank you both so much for all this information, I’m sure it’s going to be very helpful in my quest

My Aunt visited Ireland and identified the property at 59 Bancran Glebe as where my gg grandfather Laurence Bradley lived with his wife Ann Quigley.

I am unsure how she identified they lived there. I checked the proni records and Laurence Bradley lived next door to John Bradley in 1859. And thereis a 59+59a Bancran Glebe. But I am unsure of how they were related. It looks like by 1880 Laurence Bradley and his children were gone and the whole of the property went to John, then Bridget and then their son Laurence. 

I am at a brick wall, so any help would be appreciated... And I would love to know if we are related Connie 

Ann Quigley and Laurence Bradley were married 25 Dec 1862. 
Their children were born in Bancran, Draperstown, Ireland. 
John Bradley born 6 Oct 1864 
Mary Bradley born 12 Apr 1866 
William Bradley born 26 Jul 1867
Elizabeth Bradley born 19 Mar 1869 
Patrick Bradley born 3 Mar 1872
Katherine Bradley born 12 April 1877 (my great grandmother)
Edward Laurence Bradley born 18 Aug 1878 
Agnes Bradley born 18 Apr 1880
 

Soraya,

You ask how your aunt was able to say that she had found the Bradley farm (plot 59). The answer is likely to be from the maps attached to the Griffiths website which show where each property was. There is a slider bar in the top right hand corner which allows you to overlay a modern map, and also an option to look at the area using a satellite image.

As you say, Griffiths (1859) shows Laurence on 59a and John Bradley on 59b. They each had a house but were farming the land together (23 acres and 5 perches). They presumably had a joint lease.

Looking at the maps today, 59a is shown clearly. It’s at the bottom of the townland near a small burn. 59b is not marked on the map but was obviously within the boundary of 59. 59a looks derelict to me with no signs of anyone living there in recent years. There is a shed or barn and some walls. You would need to walk over 2 fields to get to it. Access looks possible from Glengomna Lane.

The Valuation Revision records on the PRONI site take Griffiths forward. They show that John Bradley’s farmhouse changed to Anne Bradley in 1880 (suggesting he had died) and her name was deleted by 1902 with the property being marked as “down” ie it had collapsed. The plot was then occupied by Laurence Bradley with a note saying “waste” indicating nothing was standing.

Laurence junior in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Londonderry/Bancran/Boncran_Glebe/1543159/

This looks like Ann Bradley’s death in 1884, aged 54. She was a widow. Informant was her daughter Mary.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1884/06318/4811960.pdf

I don’t see a death for John Bradley. Can’t assist in how John Bradley was related to Laurence (senior) but evidently there was a connection if Laurence (junior)  acquired the site after Anne’s death. There were several other Bradley families living nearby in the townland so some of them may be related too, though finding out how may prove challenging.

In the 1831 census there were 11 Bradley households in Bancran Glebe. This may be Laurence senior. In 1831 his household consisted of 3 people, 2 males and 1 female.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1831/Londonderry/Loughinshollin/Ballynascreen/Bancran/51/

Do I understand it correctly that Bancran Glebe was land owned by the Roman Catholic Church which leased plots out to farmers who then farmed the land to support the church and their family. When the person on the lease died they could specify in their will who would take over the lease. If I have that understanding right, it would be the records of plot 59 from the early 1800's that might be helpful. Correct?

Connie

Connie,

A glebe is normally church land. Given to a clergyman to increase his income.  Bancran Glebe was not owned by the Roman Catholic church, but by the Church of Ireland (Episcopalian). As you say, they then leased it to local tenant farmers.

Precisely what happened when someone died could depend on the exact terms in the lease. There were leases that expired when the tenant died, but in most cases the farmer was free to say in his/her will what was to happened to their farm. It could be passed to family or it could be put up for sale. (With it being leasehold, what was being offered for sale was the unexpired portion of the lease – which might contain a clause allowing a renewal in appropriate circumstances and so offering security of tenure – plus the crops in the ground, animals, tools and other equipment, stored seed and often  the contents of the farmhouse and outbuildings.)

The plot numbers were allocated by Griffiths Valuation clerks in the mid 1800s, so won’t be found in any earlier documents.

PRONI hold some documents relating to Buncran Glebe that may relate to your families. For example:

D3666/C/2A

20 March 1883-18 January 1887

One of a number of documents, comprising copy memorials, affidavits, Equity Court orders, conveyance etc. Relating to a mortgage and purchase of land in the townland of Owenreagh. Parties are Robert Graham, Owenreagh, plaintiff, and Dominick McWilliams, townland of Bancran Glebe, parish of Ballynascreen, Co. Londonderry, defendant.

The Registry of Deeds records might also contain leases of legal documents relating to the families. Those records are on FamilySearch but can be a bit fiddly to search. Search the indexes under the townland and look for your surnames. That gives you a reference number for each document which you then have to look up.  Often quite lengthy documents written in legalese but they tend to be formulaic and are fairly easy to follow once you work out the format.

thank you elwyn for that information. And yes Soraya it does appear that we are most likely related to some degree. If I run across any information on Laurence and Ann in my search I'll be sure to post it here for you

Sorry for my delayed reply. Thank you so much for the information.

I found a death entry for Laurence Bradley in 1885. That death entry said he was a widower.

I rechecked the records and found an Ann Bradley of Bancran who had died in childbirth in 1883. Their baby, Ann, also died and is the next death entry. I checked the birth records and the baby Ann was the daughter of Ann (nee) Quigley and Laurence Bradley. 

So the Ann that moved into John's house maybe a sister or mother of Laurence and John, but not my Laurence's wife.

At the time of Laurence's passing the youngest known child, Agnes, was 5years old - so it is unclear where the children went. 

...

Nothing has come up in my research regarding a John Bradley m Bridget McWIlliams yet, nor in my dad's DNA - but in that area Bradley is a very very common name. I am working on the theory that your John and my Laurence were brothers. So I will keep looking.  

...

My Aunt took a photo of the house when she visited and I managed to get a copy, so thought you may like to see it Connie - it should be attached below.

Soraya

Thank you Soraya for the picture, it's very interesting to see what their homes looked like. If it's of any help to know as you do your research, the info on my gg grandparents is as follows: John Bradley m Bridgit McWilliams February 20, 1855. The baptismal records of their children are as follows:

Susan - December 30, 1855

Mary - July 10, 1857

Margaret - June 5 1860

Alice - September 15, 1862 (my g grandmother)

Ann - August 30, 1864

Rose - December 17, 1866

Laurence - November 25, 1870

Catherine - January 15, 1873